Proverbs 16:10 kjv
A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.
Proverbs 16:10 nkjv
Divination is on the lips of the king; His mouth must not transgress in judgment.
Proverbs 16:10 niv
The lips of a king speak as an oracle, and his mouth does not betray justice.
Proverbs 16:10 esv
An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment.
Proverbs 16:10 nlt
The king speaks with divine wisdom;
he must never judge unfairly.
Proverbs 16 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ideal King's Wisdom & Justice | ||
| 1 Kgs 3:9 | Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge Your people... | Solomon seeks divine wisdom for just rule. |
| 1 Kgs 3:28 | All Israel stood in awe of the king, for they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice. | Recognition of divinely bestowed wisdom. |
| Ps 72:1-4 | Give the king Your justice, O God, and Your righteousness to the royal son! He will judge Your people with righteousness, and Your poor with justice. | Prayer for a king who executes divine justice. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder... Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. | Messianic king whose reign is just and eternal. |
| Jer 23:5-6 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch... He shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." | Prophecy of a truly righteous Davidic king. |
| Zec 9:9 | Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!... behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey... | The King who is just and brings salvation. |
| God's Sovereignty & Guidance of Kings | ||
| Prov 21:1 | The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He will. | God's absolute control over a king's decisions. |
| Prov 16:1 | The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. | God ultimately directs words and outcomes. |
| Prov 16:9 | The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. | God's sovereign direction of human plans. |
| Dan 2:21 | He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. | God's dominion over kingdoms and wisdom. |
| Consequences of Corrupt/Unjust Rulers | ||
| Prov 28:15 | Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people. | Depicts the destructive nature of unjust rule. |
| Isa 10:1-2 | Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of their right... | Condemnation of rulers who pervert justice. |
| Mic 3:9-11 | Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel... who hate the good and love the evil... its heads give judgment for a bribe, its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money. | Rebuke against corrupt leaders who pervert justice. |
| God as the Ultimate Judge/Righteousness | ||
| Deut 32:4 | The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He. | God's perfect justice and uprightness. |
| Ps 75:7 | but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. | God is the ultimate judge. |
| Ps 89:14 | Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before You. | God's throne founded on justice. |
| Isa 33:22 | For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver; the LORD is our king; He will save us. | God is the ultimate divine authority and judge. |
| Rom 2:2 | We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. | God's judgment is true and just. |
| Christ as the Perfect King/Judge | ||
| Jn 5:22 | For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son... | All judgment is entrusted to the Son. |
| Rev 19:11 | Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. | Christ judges in perfect righteousness. |
| Isa 11:3-4 | He shall not judge by what His eyes see, or decide disputes by what His ears hear, but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth... | Christ's perfect and righteous judgment. |
| Matt 25:31-32 | "When the Son of Man comes in His glory... He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." | Christ's future role as universal judge. |
| Lips/Mouth & Truth/Integrity | ||
| Mal 2:6 | True instruction was in his mouth, and no unrighteousness was found on his lips. | Ideal for priests: speaking truth and no unrighteousness. |
| Prov 16:13 | Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. | Righteous words are pleasing to kings. |
| Ps 37:30 | The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. | Righteousness characterized by just words. |
Proverbs 16 verses
Proverbs 16 10 Meaning
Proverbs 16:10 posits the ideal characteristic of a king, stating that his judicial pronouncements carry divine authority and are unfailingly just. It depicts a monarch whose words in judgment are so imbued with heavenly wisdom that they are like an oracle from God, never deviating from righteousness. This verse emphasizes the profound expectation for a righteous ruler to dispense justice perfectly, reflecting the divine standard, rather than proclaiming a king's inherent infallibility.
Proverbs 16 10 Context
Proverbs 16 falls within a section of the book often attributed to Solomon (chapters 10-22), focusing on general wisdom observations for godly living. The immediate context of chapter 16 highlights God's absolute sovereignty over human plans and intentions (vv. 1, 3, 9, 33), and particularly over the heart and decisions of a king (v. 1). This divine oversight is crucial for understanding verse 10: the "divine sentence" and "unfailing judgment" of a king are not intrinsic royal infallibility but rather an outflow of God's enabling and guidance. Historically, kings in the ancient Near East often claimed divine sanction for their rule and pronouncements. In contrast, the Israelite monarchy, though God-ordained, was subject to divine law and held accountable to Yahweh. This Proverb can be seen as an aspiration, a statement of the ideal for a king guided by God's wisdom, subtly contrasting with the potential for corrupted or self-serving royal judgments seen in other cultures or in wicked kings within Israel's own history.
Proverbs 16 10 Word analysis
- A divine sentence (קֶסֶם - qesem): The Hebrew word qesem typically denotes "divination," often associated with forbidden practices (Deut 18:10). Its usage here in a positive context is unique and highly significant. It implies that the king's judicial pronouncements are not based on human cunning or divination, but on direct, God-given wisdom, akin to an authoritative oracle or prophetic declaration from God Himself. This highlights the sacred, solemn, and ultimately supernatural origin of a righteous king's true judgment.
- is in the lips (עַל שִׂפְתֵי - ʿal siftei): This phrase emphasizes that the source of the king's pronouncement is his spoken word, making it an authoritative, binding decree. The lips are the instrument through which God's wisdom is ideally articulated.
- of the king (מֶלֶךְ - melech): Refers to the earthly monarch. In the Israelite understanding, the king was God's chosen representative, responsible for upholding justice and righteousness in the land (Deut 17:14-20). This verse describes the ideal embodiment of that divinely appointed role.
- his mouth (פִּיהוּ - pihu): Synonymous with "lips," reinforcing the idea of a spoken, authoritative ruling. The consistency of thought expressed from his mouth emphasizes truth and unwavering integrity.
- transgresseth not (לֹא יִמְעַל - loʾ yimʿal): The verb maʿal means "to be unfaithful, act treacherously, trespass." This is a strong word often used for unfaithfulness to God or a covenant (e.g., Achan's sin in Josh 7:1). Here, it implies that the king, in his judgment, does not act unfaithfully to the divine standard of justice, making no error, and never corrupting truth or betraying the trust placed in him to dispense perfect judgment.
- in judgment (בְּמִשְׁפָּט - bĕmishpat): Refers to the administration of justice, legal decisions, and judicial rulings. It indicates the realm in which the king's divine sentence and faithful speech are to operate, emphasizing that his specific pronouncements are just and aligned with God's perfect law.
- A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: This phrase elevates the king's judicial declarations from mere human decrees to divinely inspired pronouncements. It implies that when a king judges righteously, he acts as God's vice-regent, channeling divine wisdom and authority directly. This sets a high standard for rulers, indicating their words of justice should reflect ultimate truth, not personal bias or corruption.
- his mouth transgresseth not in judgment: This further clarifies the perfection expected of such divinely guided judgment. It implies an absence of error, corruption, or partiality in the king's legal decisions. The use of "transgresseth not" emphasizes absolute fidelity to truth and righteousness, a faithfulness often associated with a covenantal relationship, here applied to the sacred duty of justice.
Proverbs 16 10 Bonus section
- Ideal vs. Reality: While this Proverb describes an ideal king, the Old Testament narratives often show Israel's kings falling short of this standard, demonstrating the pervasive human tendency towards sin and perversion of justice (e.g., David with Uriah, Solomon's later years, wicked kings of Israel and Judah). This tension between the ideal and reality underscores the need for divine intervention and points toward the ultimate reign of Christ.
- Imitation of God's Justice: The proverb suggests that a king's role is to imitate God's perfect justice. Just as God's judgments are true and faithful, so should be those of His earthly representative. This has profound implications for all who hold positions of authority, calling them to seek divine wisdom and integrity.
- The Power of Words: The emphasis on the king's "lips" and "mouth" highlights the incredible power of spoken words in leadership and judicial contexts. What leaders speak has immense impact, and this verse declares that a godly leader's words, when delivering justice, ought to be flawlessly aligned with divine truth.
Proverbs 16 10 Commentary
Proverbs 16:10 paints an ideal portrait of royal judicial integrity. It is not a descriptive statement of how all kings operate, but rather a prescriptive aspiration for how a truly righteous monarch, guided by God, should rule. The "divine sentence" refers to judgments born not of human acumen, but of God's own wisdom imparted to the king. The unusual use of qesem, typically "divination," highlights the special, divinely revealed quality of this wisdom, distinguishing it from pagan practices and implying God's true revelation for justice. The phrase "his mouth transgresseth not in judgment" asserts the absolute incorruptibility and unfailing righteousness of such judgments, reflecting divine perfection. Ultimately, this proverb anticipates the reign of the perfect King, Jesus Christ, in whom divine wisdom perfectly dwells and whose judgments are utterly faithful, true, and just.